INCREDIBLE !NDIA - BIJLI MAHADEV

16th MAY 2011

Kullu, one of the most exotic hill stations of India is situated in the state of Himachal Pradesh. This place is a hot spot tourist-visiting hub and is well known as 'Silver Valley' of Himachal Pradesh.

Bijli Mahadev Temple situated in Kullu is quite popular among local people but tourists like me don’t know much about it. I have been to Manali 5-6 times, but never heard about Bijli Mahadev Temple. This time I get to know about it from my skiing guide in Rohtang Pass. After hearing about its beauty and strange phenomenon of lightning I was desperate to visit this place.

I started from my Hotel early in the morning so that I can reach back before 4:00 O’clock in the evening to catch my bus at 5:00 O’clock. I already had booked a Royal Enfield for the journey from bikers point on the left bank of Beas on

Rohtang Road

. The guy reached well on time 6:30am with the 2009 model Bullet Electra. The condition of the bike is not that great, my own 2002 model Bullet is far better than this, but it’s OK because you need ample time to search for a rented bike in good condition which obviously I didn’t had. At around 7:00AM I was on the road, as I left Manali the road condition was good but it deteriorated a lot as I moved close to Kullu.

From outskirts of Kullu after crossing the fly bridge I took a left turn upside the hill and the whole view was different from there onwards. Bijli Mahadev Temple is situated at some 15 KMs from there and the road to that was very narrow only a single 4-wheeler can travel through that and you have to look for the space to overtake or cross another vehicle. But that problem does not arise much because vehicular activity there was very less. 

On this trail you get great views of the Kullu valley and will spot small houses clinging to the hillsides. The entire walk is through dense forests and apple orchards by passing a few quaint villages. It’s been more than 2 hrs. And I was travelling at nominal speeds of 20-30 Km/Hr when the road abruptly comes to an end. Then I got to know from the nearby & only shopkeeper there that this is the end of the road and from here onwards I have to trek to the Temple.

The trek begins from the small village ‘Hanerri’ and goes along a mountain ridge high above the River Beas. A holy darshan of the temple requires a hefty voyage of 3 kilometers on foot, which is quite tiresome but I enjoyed it because I love to trek on torturous hills. The uphill path towards this sacred shrine is flanked by pine trees and few apple orchards that make the stride a pleasant one. I noticed one strange thing that the hill has a great population of different varieties of Lizards mostly the big ones. After passing through roughly crafted way with mare walking and somewhere with stone stairs you will reach on the flat hill top which looks like a golf course in between the pine trees. Dotted by two small natural water bodies which originated by the melted snow from the hill the place looks so mesmerizing. The sparkling Hill houses the pictorial view of the luxuriant valley below was breathtaking.

Situated atop of this majestic hill Bijli Mahadev, the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (2460m). The Bijli Mahadev Temple is truly an architectural marvel and is very well crafted. It is adorned with a 60 feet high “staff” which is visible from near by Kullu and Parvati valleys also. The door frames of Bijli Mahadev Temple have delicate and superb carvings. Two wooden Nandis / bulls face the temple door stood like strong guards.

Bijli Mahadev temple is called the ‘Temple of Lightening’ as it is believed that its staff (wooden pole of deodar) attracts divine blessings, in the form of lightening, from presiding deity Lord Shiva. Thousands of travelers gather at this place every year, for a fair held in the hindu month of ‘Shravan’.

According to a legend, Maharishi Vashishta prayed to Lord Rudra to absorb the excessive electric current within him. Lord Rudra acceded to his request and absorbed the electricity current, saving humankind. The incident is believed to have taken place at the confluence of Parvati and Beas rivers. Later, a temple was erected at the sight, in commemoration of the event. A stone phallus was enshrined inside the temple and named as Bijleshwar Mahadev or Bijli Mahadev.  

In another anecdote, every year, there is a frightful lightning and the 'Shiv lingam' gets reduced to pieces. It is believed that Lord Shiva absorbs the energy discharged from the atmosphere and saves the world. After the incident, the temple priest collects all those pieces and puts them into “satto” and butter. The image is restored to its original oneness until another similar flash repeats the miracle and in this way, the cycle goes on. The work of resetting the 'lingam' is carried out in secrecy by the temple pujaris and the temple employees.

After spending 2 hrs at the temple capturing the nature’s beauty in my camera I started my back journey. It took me 35 minute to come down instead of 2 hrs to reach to temple. For next half an hour I took some rest at the shop where I parked my bullet and had a good chat with the shop owner which provided me this above written history of the temple and much more. At around 3:40PM I reached back to my hotel and at 5:00 O’clock I said good bye to Beautiful Manali with a promise to come again and to explore some new places.